How policy entrepreneurship training affects policy entrepreneurship behavior among street-level bureaucrats – a randomized field experiment. Issue 5 (4th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frisch-Aviram, Neomi; Beeri, Itai; Cohen, Nissim
• Is Part Of: Journal of European public policy. Volume 28:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 698
• Page End: 722
• Publication Date: 2021-05-04
• Subjects: Policy entrepreneurship -- street-level bureaucracy -- on-the-job-training -- field experiment; European Union countries -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; Political planning -- European Union countries -- Periodicals; Politique publique -- Pays de l'Union européenne -- Périodiques; Pays de l'Union européenne -- Politique et gouvernement -- Périodiques; 361.61094
• DOI: 10.1080/13501763.2021.1912146
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1350-1763

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Can policy entrepreneurship training affect policy entrepreneurship behavior among street-level bureaucrats? The current research aims to expand our understanding of how and when street-level bureaucrats might use entrepreneurial strategies to directly influence policy design. We suggest that managers and decision makers can increase street-level bureaucrats' willingness and ability to act as policy entrepreneurs through specific training. To test this argument, we conducted a randomized field experiment with 158 nurses in a community-based network of maternal and child healthcare clinics in Israel. Our findings suggest that policy entrepreneurship training has a significant positive effect on street-level policy entrepreneurship behavior. We also find that it reduces the need of street level bureaucrats to have policy entrepreneurship self-efficacy in order to engage in policy entrepreneurship behavior. We discuss our findings in detail, proposing new avenues in theory and practice.